Bulb carrying compartment for handles of electric lanterns



June 2, 1942. ,w. M. MOXLEY 29285345 BULB CARRYING COMPARTMENT FORHANDLES OF ELECTRIC LANTERNS Filed 'May 14, 1941 Patented June 2, 1942OFFICE BULB CARRYING COMPARTMENT FOR HANDLES OF ELECTRIC LANTERNSWilliam M. Moxley, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 14, 1941, Serial No.393,475

9 Claims.

This invention relates to electric hand lanterns of the character ofthat shown in my U. S. Patent No. 2,096,349, issued October 19, 1937;

Electric hand lanterns of this character are tric handv lanterns havemany advantages over the oil lantern, among which is the fact that Iwhen the lantern is not in use, it may be carried in the side coatpocket where it will be readily accessible.

In making the lanterns of such form that they may be, in effect, foldedinto small compass, they are provided with pivoted handles or bails ofsuch amplitude that the lower portion of the lantern body may be swungup into the bail.

The use of electric hand lanterns in lieu of oil lanterns for railroadsignaling purposes has only recently been approved by railroadauthorities, and such approval has been conditioned upon the provisionof means for carrying an extra or spare bulb in conjunction with thelantern. This, of course, is for the purpose of making sure that thetrainman will never be left without means of adequately signaling eitherthe personnel of his own train or of other trains.

It is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to providemeans for receiving and housing a spare bulb or bulbs for the lanternuntil the time of use arrives. of the invention to so design thishousing means that the handle or bail may be caused to serve the doublefunction of a bail and of means for carrying a spare bulb or bulbs.

It is a still further object of the invention to It is a further objectI so locate and design the housing for the bulb or and are frequentlynumb with cold. A firm grasp upon the handle of the lantern is ofimportance under such conditions as these.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig.1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the electric lanternand its associated bail;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the housing;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a modified form of thehousing;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view upon line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the bulb carrying clips, and,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through a closure sleeve havingits external face angularly formed to provide a better hand grasp.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of thedrawing.

In the drawing, 5 designates the body of a conventional electric lanternand 6 the pivots by means of which the body is pivotally mounted withrespect to the bail 1. In carrying out the invention, I provide, in thelength of the ball I, a tubular container 8, the end portions 9 of whichare reduced to' fit within the bail I. The reduction of the, ends of thetubular container provides shoulders l0, against which the ends of thebail snugly abut. Pins or rivets ll tie the parts together and make thetubular container what is, in substance, an integral part of the bail.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, a sleeve l2embraces the container 8. This sleeve is provided with a cut-out portion13 which may be turned to registry with a like cut-out portion M of thetop of the container 8. When these two portions are aligned, access maybe had to the spare bulbs l5. These bulbs are normally held by clips l6.These clips are carried by a bar I! that is secured to the bottom of thecontainer 8. If desired, the bail may be provided with a pin I9engageable by a notch 20 in the end of sleeve l2 so that the sleeve willbe held against accidental turning until moved slidably endwise withrespect to the container.

In Fig. 6, the sleeve l2= is like that shown in Fig. 4 except that itsexternal face is of angular formation as indicated at I2 to improve itsfunctioning as a hand grasp. In the circular form of sleeve shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 4, the increased diameter of the hand grasp portion over3, the external sleeve has been omitted and a hinged door 2| has beenprovided to close the same. A teat 22 upon the container 8 is adapted toengagea correspondingly shaped notch in the door to provide a frictioncatch to hold the door closed. A small lip 23 may be engaged by thethumb nail to open the door when access to the bulbs is desired.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction set forth, but that it includes within its purview whateverchanges fairly/come within either the terms or the spirit of theappended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In an electric lantern,the combination with a lantern body, a bail pivoted to said lanternbody, a housing included in and constituting a part of the length ofsaid bail, a bulb-receiving and carrying clip within said housing and aclosure for said housing, said housing being dimensioned to receive aspare bulb for the lantern.

2. A lantern comprising a body, a bail having its ends pivoted to thesides of said body, a housing of larger diameter than the bail, includedin the length of and constituting a part of said bail, means forsupporting a spare bulb in said housing, said housing being providedwith an opening through which said bulb may be removed and a closure forsaid opening.

3. A lantern comprising a body, a bail having its ends pivoted to thesides of said body, a housing of larger diameter than the bail, includedin the length of and constituting a part of said bail, means forsupporting a spare bulb in said housing, said housing being providedwith an opening through which said bulb may be removed and a closure forsaid opening, said closure comprising a sleeve mounted to turn upon thehousing and having an opening adapted to be brought into alignment withthe opening of the housing by such turning movement.

4. The combination with an electric lantern and its'bail, of a tubularcontainer inserted in the length of and secured to and forming part ofsaid bail, a bulb receiving clip in said container, said containerhaving a space formed in its side wall through which said .bulb maypass, and a closure for said opening.

5. A structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said closure comprises asleeve mounted to turn upon the container and having an opening adaptedto align with the opening of the container.

6. A structure as recited in claim 4:, wherein said closure comprises asleeve mounted to turn upon the container, said sleeve having an openingin its side wall adapted to alignwith the opening of the container and.said sleeve having its outer face angularly formed substantiallythroughout its length.

7. The combination with a lantern and its bail, of a tubular containerhaving reduced end portions secured within confronting portions of saidbail, a bar secured to said container, said bar carrying a pair ofupstanding spring clips adapted to receive spare electric bulbs, saidcontainer having a portion of its side wall cut away to such an extentas to permit the removal of the bulbs therethrough and a closure for theopen side of said container.

8. A structure as recited in claim '7 wherein the closure comprises asleeve mounted to turn upon the container and having an opening formedin its Wall.

9. A structure as recited in claim 7 wherein the closure comprises asleeve mounted to turn upon the container and having an opening formedin its wall, the external face of said sleeve being of angular formationsubstantially throughout its length.

WXLLJAM M. MOXLEY.

